Joe Namath: New York Jets place headlines above wins

Nov. 8, 2012
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New York Jets former players Joe Namath and Freeman McNeil during the Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime at the game between the New York Jets and the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. / Debby Wong, US Presswire

by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY Sports

by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY Sports

A bye week didn't provide any relief from public criticism for the New York Jets, who sit at 3-5 and are looking up at the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East standings.

And what would a Gang Green bashing be without a few unkind words from Joe Namath?

Namath continued his verbal assault against his former franchise, saying that the organization's focus has shifted toward grabbing the attention of fans and media.

His prime example? Tim Tebow.

"We can go right to the Tebow thing. I mean, come on," Namath said Wednesday on a SportsNet New York podcast. "If you're bringing him in to play, where's he been? Are you bringing him in to make other people practice longer? Excuse me. Are you bringing him in, trying to get media headlines?"

Namath said the Jets' problem was systemic but traced the culture of hype back to Woody Johnson, saying the owner placed a priority on selling personal seat licenses to MetLife Stadium.

"I think the focus is changed, subtly," Namath said. "It's more toward grabbing headlines, and everything starts at the top. And you can go back to when the seat licenses were initiated, how we started conducting things. I don't think winning has been put at the top of the board. Winning headlines has replaced that."

The Jets obsessed with dominating news coverage? Perish the thought.

Namath makes an interesting choice by placing the most blame on Johnson. Rex Ryan takes the brunt of the flack for his repeated Super Bowl predictions and miscellaneous chest puffing, but both men shaped the Jets that Namath sees fit to rip every so often.

And if the Jets come up short against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, there will be plenty more blame to go around.